EPA Helps States Protect New England Beachgoers This Summer
BOSTON (May 27, 2025) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing over $1.1 million in grant funding to states across New England to monitor water quality at beaches and to notify the public if elevated levels of illness-causing bacteria make swimming unsafe.
"A clean and safe New England Coastline is an economic driver for the region," said EPA New England's Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn. "Through collaborative efforts with state and local entities, EPA's BEACH Act funding will help protect New Englanders from getting sick, while ensuring that local economies, that rely on beachgoers, know what to expect."
This funding is authorized by the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act and it advances the goals of cooperative federalism and ensuring that every American has access to clean and safe water. Each of these goals supports EPA's "Powering the Great American Comeback" initiative.
EPA anticipates that it will award grants to the following eligible recipients in New England after all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied:
Connecticut: $209,000
Maine: $258,000
Massachusetts: $258,000
New Hampshire: $194,000
Rhode Island: $214,000
Learn more about the BEACH Act grants.
Before heading to the shore, check the relevant state, Tribal or territorial beach program website for closing or advisory information.
Background
To be eligible for BEACH Act grants, states, Tribes, and territories must have coastal or Great Lakes recreational waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access used by the public. They must also have a water quality standards program and EPA-approved numeric recreational water quality standards for coastal waters. Additionally, eligible entities must meet 11 performance criteria for implementing monitoring, assessment, and notification components of the beach program. Each grantee receives an amount based on the length of the beach season, the number of miles of shoreline and the populations of coastal counties.
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